On a beautiful October morning in Sarajevo, the reasons behind the mass exodus of young individuals from Bosnia and Herzegovina are not immediately obvious. The city is enjoying warm autumn weather, and the cafes near the Sacred Heart Cathedral are bustling with patrons. Locals are savoring coffee and cigarettes alongside Swedish football fans visiting for a Nations League match.
Despite Sarajevo’s many attractions, young people continue to leave Bosnia in large numbers. A local organization monitoring emigration has estimated that over 600,000 residents departed the country in the decade following the 2013 census, which recorded a population of 3.5 million.
Timur Ilic, a 28-year-old municipal councillor in Sarajevo, expressed his optimism about the future, even as he acknowledges the challenges faced by his party, Our Party—a multi-ethnic, liberal group that strives to appeal to voters in a political landscape dominated by ethnonationalist parties. “If I weren’t optimistic, maybe I would also move out,” he remarked as he campaigns for a position in the cantonal government. “People are not ready for significant change. They fear uncertainty. A new generation must emerge that is willing to challenge the status quo and support us in seeking alternatives.”
The dilemma for Our Party and similar movements is that the youth who form their potential voter base are opting to leave the country rather than participating in elections. Although the upcoming vote is positioned as a significant democratic event in Europe, involving the election of 14 prime ministers and five presidents, the complexity of the political system complicates the situation.
The Dayton Agreement, designed to create two powerful regional entities alongside a weaker central government, was a temporary solution to maintain peace after the devastating conflicts of the 1990s. Unfortunately, it has entrenched divisions within the country. Most Serbs reside in the Republika Srpska (RS), while the Federation is predominantly home to Croats and Bosniak Muslims. Ethnonationalist leaders have little incentive to alter this dynamic or to court young voters who envision a brighter future abroad.
However, meaningful education appears unlikely, as children in Bosnia learn differing narratives of recent history based on their ethnic backgrounds—Serbs, Bosniaks, or Croats. In the RS, the curriculum even honors figures like Radovan Karadzic and the late Ratko Mladić, both convicted of genocide by an international tribunal, as “national heroes.”
East Sarajevo, located just a short drive from the capital, lies across the entity line that separates the Federation from the RS. The road signs there are in Serbian Cyrillic, and youths grow up amidst “murals of war criminals,” as described by 23-year-old local resident Dijana Papaz. She collaborated with Sarah Čato on an exhibition titled *What If the Border Is Within You?*, which examines the divisions between Sarajevo and East Sarajevo and explores how young individuals are bridging these gaps.
While Papaz identifies as “Bosnian” and shuns ethnic labels, she acknowledges that the glorification of Mladić after his death in August is indicative of persistent divisions and the urgent need for change. “We must address our constitution, as the Dayton Agreement was never meant to last this long. It was a temporary measure following the war, intended to help us improve our nation, but that progress has stalled,” she asserted.
Those born after 1995 may not recall the conflict or its origins, but they still hear stories from their families. Ajna Mešić, from the Youth Initiative for Human Rights, explains that the ongoing departure of Bosnia’s most talented individuals can also be attributed to familial pressure. “Our parents encourage us to leave,” she said. “Growing up, I thought my fate was to become a lawyer in Germany. But during high school, I realized I have the power to choose. Nevertheless, many parents feel that they fought the war in vain and don’t want their children to endure the same struggles.”
At a pre-election rally for the non-nationalist Social Democratic Party (SDP) opposite Sarajevo’s historic city hall, young faces were noticeably absent. Amidst the red flares illuminating the Miljacka River, Benjamin Ahmedbegovic, a 23-year-old vice president of the SDP’s youth forum, confessed that he does not anticipate any significant changes in the political landscape or the trend of youth emigration following the elections. “Political instability is a major factor driving migration from Bosnia and Herzegovina,” he remarked, noting that individuals often prefer to support candidates of the same ethnic background, further complicating the situation.
